A compact controller designed to give electronic music makers of today the most interactive experience possible in Ableton Live.

The Novation Launchpad Control Surface communicates bi-directionally with Ableton Live software to give you real-time session feedback. Now you really can Play Live. Launchpad ships with a dedicated 'Launchpad edition' of Ableton Live 8, but can control almost any other music software using Novation's award-winning Automap control software.

Launchpad was jointly designed by Novation and Ableton to bring the features of Live to modern musician's fingertips. The 8x8 grid of backlit buttons addresses a multitude of functions with the help of mode selectors that transport you around the Live interface.

Flip from launching clips to tweaking mixer settings in a stroke. Launch your song into a heavy buildup, then switch to a synth or a drum machine for an impromptu solo at the touch of a button. It's all possible on Novation Launchpad, and all without touching the mouse or keyboard!

Novation Launchpad is bus-powered from a single USB connection, and has a 10" square desktop footprint. Rubber feet ensure Launchpad stays secure on the surface on which it's placed, and an optional padded neoprene travel sleeve is available. It ships with a USB cable, plus a DVD ROM with Mac and PC installers for a special 'Launchpad Version' of Ableton Live 8, as well as 1GB of sample content from Loopmasters and Mike The Drummer. It also comes Automap enabled.

Automap ControlA Novation Launchpad can also control other DAWs and plug-ins using Novation's Automap control software. Automap can assign controls to software parameters on VST/AU/RTAS/TDM plug-ins by simply clicking on them, and touching a controller!

• See what you're triggering –Automap provides a customizable heads-up transparent display across your computer screen. Ideal for seeing at a glance samples that you're about to trigger.

• Unleash the power of QWERTY keyboard shortcuts – Automap PRO, an optional upgrade available to purchase online, lets you assign almost any computer keyboard shortcut, and combinations thereof, to Launchpads buttons.

• Flexible trigger platform for Max MSP and Reaktor programmers – Programmers can utilize variable brightness and multicolor LED states to their full advantage when designing new and innovative tools in Max MSP and Reaktor.

Launchpad and Max for LiveMax is a visual programming environment which allows you to custom build instruments and effects. Ableton announced 'Max for Live' when they launched Live 8. This means that Max and Ableton are now integrated, so you can build your own instruments (or tweak other people's) within Live.

Launchpad can be used to control these instruments. For example, parameters on Max for Live's step sequencer can be triggered using Launchpad's buttons. Launchpad gives you a huge amount of visual feedback. Multiple colors and brightnesses across different buttons display visual information about whether the note is on, the velocity, note length, pitch, and whatever else you want to see!

Novation have created a Max for Live step sequencer patch utilizing Launchpad's multicolor and brightness variations, available to download from: www.novationmusic.com

Launchpad supports multiple unit operation. Connect up to 3 Launchpads at a time. Expand your grid with multiple Launchpads, or have one Launchpad dedicated to mixer mode, and the other to launching clips.

Multiple unitsLaunchpad supports multiple unit operation. Connect up to 6 Launchpads at a time. Expand your grid with multiple Launchpads, or have one Launchpad dedicated to mixer mode, and the other to launching clips.

I got it for my birthday and loved it! Be wary, if you're using a Windows computer with an Intel i-series processor, that you get the new beta drivers, because otherwise there is a terrible lag. Once that is fixed though, it's great! Loved it!

If you're planning to use it with ableton, just plug and relax...(and of course have a ableton version from 8.1.0 or above 'cause if you have a 8.0 it won't work without you mapping everything first) If you plan to use it with other software Renoise just open a tool for Launchpad, Reason is working good as well, and well Max for Live makes this baby another step further. I was going to get a Block or a Monome but my budget didn't give me the chance, now I have this baby and I love it. Buy it, it's cheap, good, has good support you won't regret it.

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